Microsoft PowerPoint Eliminates “Reuse Slides” Feature on Windows & macOS While Integrating New Copilot Tools

Microsoft has announced that the “Reuse Slides”feature in PowerPoint, a staple for users for over ten years, will see its retirement in January 2026. According to Microsoft, this feature has become redundant due to existing alternatives for slide duplication. As users adapt to this change, understanding the options available for slide reusability becomes essential.

Understanding the Reuse Slides Feature in PowerPoint

The “Reuse Slides”option allowed users to easily duplicate slides from other PowerPoint presentations without sacrificing design elements such as logos and headers. While manual copying is always an option, it often lacks the finesse and formatting retention that the Reuse Slides feature provided.

Although there are alternative methods for importing slides, many users favored the familiar approach of Reuse Slides due to its simplicity and efficiency.

Impending Changes and Microsoft’s Rationale

In a recent communication released via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, the software giant confirmed its plans to phase out the Reuse Slides feature across Windows 11 and macOS by January 2026. The announcement emphasized the availability of other methods for integrating slides from different presentations.“We will begin retiring this feature starting in December 2025 and expect to complete the process in January 2026, ”Microsoft stated in a support document, urging users to adapt their documentation and explore alternative methods for slide reuse.

Alternative Methods for Slide Reusability

If you want to achieve a similar experience to the Reuse Slides feature, consider implementing the following steps, which can replicate about 90% of its functionality:

Begin by opening a new PowerPoint presentation alongside the source deck.
Utilize the split-screen mode on Windows, positioning your new PowerPoint on the left and the existing presentation on the right.
Select the desired slides and drag them directly into your new PowerPoint presentation.

This method largely maintains animations and multimedia elements, enhancing the user experience.

Should you wish to duplicate an entire presentation, navigate to the ‘View’ section and click on ‘New Window.’ This action will create a copy of your existing PowerPoint. Remember to save it under a different file name to avoid any confusion.

While the “New Window”option serves as a substitute for “Reuse Slide, ”the latter allowed users more precise control over which slides to select and format, including options available in a sidebar, thus enhancing flexibility in presentations.

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